1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus applied to MFPs (Multi Function Peripherals) that is a digital multifunctional complex machine capable of detecting a security code and a password given to a document or creating a document having a security code and a password given thereto, an image processing method, and a recording medium having an image processing program recorded therein to make a computer in the image processing apparatus execute image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
In recent years, paper document security has been enhanced so as to prevent, for example, paper copied from a confidential document by a copy machine or other from being leaked to outsiders, and paper copied from an original document from being misused as the original document itself.
For example, according to an art disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-201069, image data is prohibited/permitted by a ground pattern to be outputted, and the prohibited image data is released by an entered password.
Further, according to an art disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-316552, a password is given to a confidential document.
However, the arts described right above leaves the following disadvantage since only one password is given to one sheet to be outputted.
In other words, when images from a document are printed in a plurality of areas on a sheet by the N in 1 mode to print images of N pages of document on one sheet, only one password is given to the whole one sheet no matter if the document includes confidential information such as copyrightable expressions or images, secrets and personal information, as well as nonconfidential information. Thus, the arts still lack in flexibility and usability of document security management
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.